Roadway with sound tracks and method of forming the tracks



1951 F. J. DOFSEN ROADWAY WITH SOUND TRACK AND METHOD OF FORMING THE TRACKS Filed Nov. 19, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l R E D L U o H. S.

v INVENTOR.

FLOYD J- DOFSEN BY M ,dlayveaaw,

ATTORNEYS Nov. 6, 1951 F. J. DOFSEN ROADWAY WITH SOUND TRACK AND METHOD OF FORMING THE TRACKS Filed Nov. 19, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I! V D INVENTOR.

FLOYD J- DOFSEN AT TORNEYS F. J. DOFSEN 2,574,090 ROADWAY WITH SOUND TRACK AND METHOD OF FORMING THE TRACKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 6, 1951 Filed Nov. 19, 1948 lu MJQIU 0 JU Q no ZOFUum u Patented Nov. 6, 1951 ROADWAY WITH SOUND TRACKS AND .METHOD OF FORMINGTHE TRACKS Floyd J. Dofsen, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Electric Manufacturing Company, Inc., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 19, 1948, Serial No. 61,026

' The present invention relates to a roadway with sound tracks and method of forming the tracks. It consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangement of parts of the roadway and sound track, and the steps of the method as hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a roadway having sound tracks therein, which are designed to produce audible and understandable words as a vehicle passes therealong. The body of the vehicle constitutes a sound box. The words produced in this manner serve as warnings to the driver. These warning Words are produced automatically as the vehicle travels over the sound tracks, regardless of light and weather conditions. I V

For example, a divided highway may have a sound track extending therealong between the lanes of the roadway, which will coact with the travelling vehicle to give the warning Danger? as the vehicle moves from one lane to another. Sound tracks may be provided along the shoulders of the roadway to give the warning Shoulder when the vehicle approaches too close to the 'side of the roadway for safety. Another example would be giving the warning Crossing as the vehicle approaches an intersection.

A still further object of my invention relates to a method of producing a sound track fora roadway that will be sufliciently large andaccurate to give the proper warning to the driver.

This invention embodies parts of the apparatus and steps disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 652,092, filed in the United. States Patent Office on March 5, 1946, entitled Method and Apparatus for Proportionally Enlargin a Sound Track.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds. I The novel features will be set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a two-lane roadway at a railroad crossing, with sound tracks designed to give various warnings to a driver of a vehicle as the latter travels along the roadway;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary portion of an apparatus for enlarging an original sound track on a screen;

Figure 3 is a face view of a transparent disc showing the original sound track thereon greatly enlarged for the purpose of clarity;

2 Claims. (01. 94-15) Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the screen disclosing the original sound track enlarged thereon in true proportion and without distortion;

7 Figure 5 illustrates a strip of material having a trace thereon corresponding with the enlarged sound track outline of Figure 4;

Figure 6 shows a form board with its upper portion cut away in accordance with the sound track trace illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 discloses two of these form boards arranged parallel with one another and the space therebetween filled with concrete, the upper Surface of the concrete being trowelled oil to have the same configuration as the upper edges of the .form boards; Figure 8 is a schematic view illustrating a vehicle moving over a sound track on a roadway;

- and r Figures 9 and 10 disclose strips of material havin an actual enlargement of portions of a sound trackfor the word Danger-only the starting and ending portions of this word being disclosed.

While I have shown only the preferred form of'my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Referring now to Figures 2-4, inclusive, I dis- I close fragmentary portions of the apparatus that I employ in making a sound track. The entire apparatus is fully disclosed in my copending application mentioned above.

However, the part of the apparatus with which I am concerned in the present invention is fully disclosed in these three views.

In Fig. 2, I show a supporting frame A, which 'rotatably carries a transparent disc B havin an original sound track [0 inscribed thereon. In 'actual practice, the disc B has a thin layer of transparent material applied thereto and the original sound track is inscribed in thismaterial. Figure 3'shows a portion of the sound track It! greatly enlarged, but actually it will be no greater in size than the usual sound track groove in a phonograph record.

The stylus (not shown) that cuts the groove in the transparent layer on the disc B is moved laterally in accordance with the amplitude of the sound waves produced by the sound that is to be recorded. The disc B is rotated while the stylus cuts the sound track and the arrangement is such that the sound track will be concentric to the center I 2 of the disc. This means that the entire recording must be confined within the single cirthat I mount a light l adiacent toithe'soimd track ID. This light has its rays iocused ionto' a portion of the sound track by an gptical'system of lenses indicated at IS. The raysiromthelight l5 are brought to a focal point .on-aportionof-the original sound track 10. Then the rays are directed through a microscope that greatlyenlarges the portion of the sound track being illumi: nated.

.fIhe tra sparent record with the lateral sound track thatis illuminated-by:,the light will be .projected upon ,a screen indicated generally at C so that the enlarged soundtrack Illa-will appear on the screen (see Figures 2 and 4) In Figure 5,;1 show a stripof-materia l D such as paper, which 'may be secured-to the screen 0 so that .a trace Nib corresponding to-the "sound .track image lfla may be drawn'thereon. 'Any 'suitable'mea-nsjnay" be employed for transferring the trace Lflb'totthe surface of aroadwayover which avehicle Etravels.

Figures 6 and? discloseone method of accomplishing the transfer of 'the trace 10b to a'roa'dway -';Referring to-Figure 611 disclose a form boa-rdflfi having its top portion l8a-cut away to define an undulating upper edge |0 c,' which'ex- 'actly corresponds to the trace 101). Figure '7 iliustrates a pair of these-prepared form boards [8 arranged in spaced and parallel relation with one another. These-boards may be held inposi- "tionby any suitable means, such as being placed in a trench l9. Concrete!!! has been-poured into *the space between these form boards and the upper surface trowelled ofi to define a roadway Also, highway strips J are provided in both trafllc lanes and have sound tracks lg to give the warn- .ing Crossing as the vehicle approaches the 10 intersection.

'Ailthou hlmave described the roadway as having strips :to :give the warnings Shoulder, fDanger..and Crossing, and have disclosed one .method of producing sound tracks to give these "vehicle acts as a sound boxl'to .=give .an audible and understandable warning tothe driver that he is driving on the shoulder of the roadway.

gFigures:.-9 and 1-0 illustrate atrace of the start- .ing :P rtiQn of 'fD- andpendingportion .of R. The .entine='word""l3anger was-actually produced :bythe method hereintdescribed and the trace Hie warnings,.. Iv.do,not desire to be limited in this respect. A roller could be moved over form "boards to give the desired undulating sound tracksato the roadway. Also, the enlarged sound tracks could be formed on metal strips in the manner disclosed in my ,copending application 'hereinaboveidentified and these strips applied to the surface of theroadway.

lclaim:

' '1. A roadway having a signal device comprising a trackway having an irregular undulating upper surface conforming to the shape of a predetermined sound wave, said trackway beinglongi- "tudinally-disposed with respect t said roadway with the undulations lying above said roa dway surface whereby a vehicle traveling along said roadway will cooperate therewith to 'produce an -audiblesignali '2."The' herein described method of -forming-a --roadway with'a'signal device on its upper surface which comprises inserting form boards in -a trench, the boards having an irregular undulating upper edge conforming to the shape of a predeterniinedsound -wave; placing roadway surfacing material abutting saidform 'boards and contouring the surfacing material in conformation'with the undulations of the form'boards.

FLOYD J. DOFSEN.

aREFERENCES CITED The following references. are of record in the file "of thismatent:

. UNIT-ED ,STATES 'PA'I'EN'IS =zNmnber Name Date 31,155,360 Emerson July 6, 1916 4368,9772 Royal Feb. 1'5, 1921 ;1;67 l;303 McClure May 29, 1928 .z2i185i020 'Vostrez Dec. 26, I939 .;2;23.6,431 Hollingsworth Mar. 25, 1944 2.412935 'Dornak Dec. 3, 1946 2;4;l9;099 'Wa'll Apr. 1'5, 194 2,457,512 Wheeler Dec. 28,1948 1239 5155 ."Ferril Jan. 10, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES f'P puIar-Science, November 1-945, 1 pages 142 $0.145.

- Roadsmnd Streets, Qctober r1947, age='7-1. 

